Social Media/Networkingt h e e v o lv i n g w o r k f o r c e
3 social media/networking
4 introduction
5 use oF online JoB Boards BY JoB seekers
7 use oF social networking sites BY JoB seekers
9 most PoPular social networking sites For JoB seekers
11 imPact oF social networking content on careers
13 controlling social networking content
15 use oF social media For career deVeloPment
17 use oF social media in tHe workPlace
19 time sPent on social media
21 conclusion
24 aBout tHis rePort
contents
2
: The Evolving Workforce
t h e e v o lv i n g w o r k f o r c e : s o c i a l m e d i a / n e t w o r k i n g
3
: The Evolving Workforce
fear itare worried that material from their social networking page could adversely impact their career.gen y is the age group most concerned about potential career fallout.
26%censor it
33%
using it32% 33%
of those who use social media, linkedin® and facebook® are the
most preferred—only 3% use twitter®
how job seekers are finding that
26% online job boards22% word-of-mouth17% recruitment companies17% direct approaches from employers7% print advertisements1% social media sites10% other
j b
edit content on their social network sites to
avoid career problems
advancing careers via social media
24% search for work using blogs or social network sites
only in the americas word-of-mouth is still the
number one way to find a job, followed by online recruitment
34% generation y
26% generation X
20% baby boomers
survey respondents ranged in age from 18 to 65 and comprised the following generational groups:
generation Y (age 18 – 29), generation X (age 30 – 47), and the Baby Boomer generation (age 48 – 65).
the global survey was open to everyone, with no restrictions. to that end, respondents were either employed within a variety of industries, ranging from information technology to finance, or were unemployed and searching for future work opportunities.
each respondent revealed their viewpoints on the following four topics:
• TalentMobility
• SocialMedia/Networking
• DriversofCareerChoiceandCareerProgression
• EffectiveEmployers/EmployerofChoice
this report highlights responses to questions regarding social media/networking. the questions focused on:
• Useofonlinejobboardsbyjobseekers
• Useofsocialnetworkingsitesbyjobseekers
• Mostpopularsocialnetworkingsitesforjobseekers
• Impactofsocialnetworkingcontentoncareers
• Controllingsocialnetworkingcontent
• Useofsocialmediaforcareerdevelopment
• Useofsocialmediaintheworkplace
• Timespentonsocialmedia
aPProXimatelY 97,000 PeoPle From 30 countries across tHe americas, aPac, and emea regions resPonded to a workPlace surVeY deVeloPed BY kellY serVices®. tHe kellY gloBal workForce indeX (kgwi) reVealed oPinions aBout work and tHe workPlace From a generational ViewPoint.
4
introduction
: The Evolving Workforce
use of online job boards by job seekers
How did You secure Your most recent JoB?(by generation)
according to the kelly global workforce index, online jobboardshavebecomethedominantsourceforpeople to find work, with more than one-quarter of respondents (26 percent) using them to secure their mostrecentjob.Otherjobsearchtoolsrankedasfollows: word-of-mouth (22 percent), recruitment and staffing companies (17 percent), direct approaches from employers (17 percent), print advertisements (7 percent), and social media sites (1 percent).
OnlinejobboardsaremostpopularwithGenerationY, used by 31 percent, compared with 24 percent of generation X and 19 percent of Baby Boomers.
01
generation y
generation X
baby boomers
all generations
5
: The Evolving Workforce
1%1%1%1%
Baby Boomers
Generation X
Generation Y
All Generations
OTHER
RECRUITMENT/STAFFING COMPANY
DIRECT APPROACH FROM EMPLOYER
PRINT ADVERTISEMENT
WORD-OF-MOUTH
SOCIAL MEDIA SITE
ONLINE JOB BOARD26%31%24%19%
22%23%22%22%
7%4%8%10%
17%16%18%19%
17%16%18%17%
10%8%10%13%
02
aPac
emea
americas
all countries
use of online job boards by job seekers
How did You secure Your most recent JoB?(by region)
TheuseofonlinejobboardsismostpronouncedintheaPac region, where 33 percent used them to find their mostrecentjob,comparedwith25percentinEMEAand 24 percent in the americas.
word-of-mouth referrals are the dominant means of findingajobintheAmericas,usedby27percent,butonly by 22 percent in aPac and 20 percent in emea.
direct approaches from employers accounted for significantly more positions in emea than in the americas and aPac, while use of recruitment firms is highest in aPac.
6
: The Evolving Workforce
1%1%1%1%
Americas
EMEA
APAC
All Countries
OTHER
RECRUITMENT/STAFFING COMPANY
DIRECT APPROACH FROM EMPLOYER
PRINT ADVERTISEMENT
WORD-OF-MOUTH
SOCIAL MEDIA SITE
ONLINE JOB BOARD26%33%25%24%
22%22%20%27%
7%5%7%7%
17%14%20%15%
17%20%17%14%
10%5%11%12%
03
7
: The Evolving Workforce
use of social networking sites by job seekers
do You searcH For JoBs on social networking sites?(by generation)
according to the response to the previous question, only a small number of people (1 percent) secured theirmostrecentjobthroughasocialnetworkingsite. However, almost one-quarter of respondents (24 percent) say they search for work using social networking sites, with the results showing the highest use by generation X and Baby Boomers.
generation y
generation X
baby boomers
all generations
29%
29%
43%
36%
31%
33%
22%
29%
49%
35%
27%
40%
1%
1%
1%
1%
Baby Boomers
Generation X
Generation Y
All Generations
DON'T KNOW
NO
YES
24%
23%
24%
24%
75%
76%
74%
75%
04
8
: The Evolving Workforce
use of social networking sites by job seekers
do You searcH For JoBs on social networking sites?(by region)
the use of social networking sites to locate work is highest in emea, where they are used by one-quarter of respondents. this is higher than the americas (23 percent) and aPac (22 percent).
aPac
emea
americas
all countries
Americas
EMEA
APAC
All Countries
DON'T KNOW
NO
YES
1%
2%
1%
1%
24%
22%
25%
23%
75%
76%
74%
77%
05
9
: The Evolving Workforce
most PoPular social networking sites for job seekers
iF You do searcH For JoBs on social networking sites, wHicH do You use?(by generation)
the most popular social networking sites to find work are Facebook® and linkedin®, preferred by 33 percent and 32 percent, respectively. a further 23 percent use other sites, 10 percent use blogs, and 3 percent use twitter®.
Facebook is the overwhelming preference of generation Y participants, while linkedin is favored by generation X and Baby Boomers.
generation y
generation X
baby boomers
all generations
Baby Boomers
Generation X
Generation Y
All Generations
OTHER
BLOGS
33%40%30%22%
3%4%2%2%
32%23%36%39%
10%12%9%9%
23%21%22%27%
06
10
: The Evolving Workforce
most PoPular social networking sites for job seekers
iF You do searcH For JoBs on social networking sites, wHicH do You use?(by region)
Thechoiceofsocialnetworkingsitesforjobseekingpurposes varies markedly according to geography.
linkedin is the overwhelming choice in the americas, adopted by 40 percent of participants.
However, Facebook is the preferred site in both emea and aPac, chosen by 35 percent and 32 percent, respectively.
the use of blogs for finding work is much more popular in aPac than it is elsewhere.
aPac
emea
americas
all countries
Americas
EMEA
APAC
All countries
OTHER
BLOGS
33%32%35%28%
3%5%
2%3%
32%24%30%40%
10%17%9%6%
23%21%23%23%
07
11
: The Evolving Workforce
imPact of social networking content on careers
do You worrY tHat material From Your social networking Page could adVerselY imPact Your career? (by generation)
more than one-quarter of respondents (26 percent) are worried that material from their social networking page could adversely impact their careers.
all generations share concerns about the potential career fallout from social networking content, but generation Y is the most worried.
generation y
generation X
baby boomers
all generations
Baby Boomers
Generation X
Generation Y
All Generations
DON'T KNOW
NO
YES
26%
28%
26%
22%
62%
63%
62%
62%
11%
9%
11%
16%
08
aPac
emea
americas
all countries
12
: The Evolving Workforce
imPact of social networking content on careers
do You worrY tHat material From Your social networking Page could adVerselY imPact Your career? (by region)
respondents in the aPac region are significantly more sensitive about the potential career impact of social networking content than their counterparts in the americas and emea. one-third of those in aPac worry about the impact of social media on their careers, compared with 26 percent in emea and 22 percent in the americas.
Americas
EMEA
APAC
All Countries
DON'T KNOW
NO
YES
26%
33%
26%
22%
62%
53%
64%
67%
11%
14%
10%
11%
09
13
: The Evolving Workforce
controlling social networking content
do You deliBeratelY censor or edit content on Your social networking site in order to aVoid career ProBlems? (by generation)
one-third of respondents admit to deliberately editing or censoring content on their social networking sites in order to avoid career problems.
all generations are taking steps to control the content of their social networking pages, but generation Y is the most likely to be taking deliberate action to remove or edit potentially damaging material. generation y
generation X
baby boomers
all generations
Baby Boomers
Generation X
Generation Y
All Generations
DON'T KNOW
NO
YES
33%
36%
33%
30%
58%
58%
58%
57%
9%
6%
9%
13%
10
14
: The Evolving Workforce
controlling social networking content
do You deliBeratelY censor or edit content on Your social networking site in order to aVoid career ProBlems? (by region)
across all regions, approximately one-third of respondents are active in controlling the content on their social networking sites in order to avoid career damage.
aPac
emea
americas
all countries
Americas
EMEA
APAC
All Countries
DON'T KNOW
NO
YES
33%
33%
34%
33%
58%
57%
58%
58%
9%
10%
8%
9%
11
15
: The Evolving Workforce
use of social media for career develoPment
do You Feel it is essential to Be actiVe on social media in order to adVance Your career? (by generation)
more than one-quarter of respondents (28 percent) believe it is essential to be active on social media in order to advance their careers.
generation Y is the most likely to be active online for career purposes, with more than one-third (34 percent) viewing it as essential, compared with 26 percent of generation X and only 20 percent of Baby Boomers.
generation y
generation X
baby boomers
all generations
Baby Boomers
Generation X
Generation Y
All Generations
DON'T KNOW
NO
YES
28%
34%
26%
20%
60%
55%
61%
66%
13%
12%
13%
14%
12
16
: The Evolving Workforce
use of social media for career develoPment
do You Feel it is essential to Be actiVe on social media in order to adVance Your career? (by region)
the aPac region has an extremely high rate of online activity for career purposes, with 46 percent regarding it as essential for career advancement. this is well above the rates in both the americas (25 percent) and emea (22 percent).
aPac
emea
americas
all countries
Americas
EMEA
APAC
All Countries
DON'T KNOW
NO
YES
28%
46%
22%
25%
60%
40%
66%
64%
13%
15%
13%
11%
13
17
: The Evolving Workforce
use of social media in the workPlace
does Your emPloYer HaVe a social media or social networking PolicY tHat regulates use at work? (by generation)
almost one-third of respondents (30 percent) say that their employers have a social media or social networking policy that regulates use at work.
employer restrictions on workplace use of social media apply almost uniformly to employees, irrespective of their generation.
interestingly, 28 percent of Baby Boomers are unaware of whether such a policy exists.
generation y
generation X
baby boomers
all generations
Baby Boomers
Generation X
Generation Y
All Generations
DON'T KNOW
NO
YES
30%
29%
31%
28%
50%
54%
49%
44%
20%
17%
20%
28%
14
18
: The Evolving Workforce
use of social media in the workPlace
does Your emPloYer HaVe a social media or social networking PolicY tHat regulates use at work? (by region)
employer restrictions on social networking in the workplace are more common in the americas, affecting 33 percent of participants, compared with 31 percent in aPac and 27 percent in emea.
aPac
emea
americas
all countries
Americas
EMEA
APAC
All Countries
DON'T KNOW
NO
YES
30%
31%
27%
33%
50%
56%
50%
46%
20%
13%
23%
21%
15
19
: The Evolving Workforce
time sPent on social media
How mucH time do You sPend on social media sites eacH daY? (by generation)
Thevastmajorityofrespondents(68percent)spendan hour or less each day on social media sites, while 19 percent spend no time at all. only 13 percent spend an hour or more each day.
generation Y spends the largest amount of time engaged in social networking. some 18 percent of generation Y spend an hour or more each day, compared with 11 percent of generation X and 8 percent of Baby Boomers.
generation y
generation X
baby boomers
all generations
Baby Boomers
Generation X
Generation Y
All Generations
NEVER
MORE THAN 2 HOURS
1 – 2 HOURS
30 MINUTES – 1 HOUR
LESS THAN 30 MINUTES
44%41%47%44%
24%29%22%18%
9%12%8%6%
4%6%
3%2%
19%11%21%30%
16
20
: The Evolving Workforce
time sPent on social media
How mucH time do You sPend on social media sites eacH daY? (by region)
in each of the three regions, approximately two-thirds of respondents spend one hour or less on social media sites each day.
aPac boasts the greatest number of more intensive users. Fifteen percent of its respondents spend more than one hour on social media sites daily, compared with 13 percent in emea and 11 percent in the americas.
twenty-one percent of those in the americas spend no time at all on social media sites, which is higher than aPac (19 percent) and emea (17 percent).
aPac
emea
americas
all countries
Americas
EMEA
APAC
All Countries
NEVER
MORE THAN 2 HOURS
1 – 2 HOURS
30 MINUTES – 1 HOUR
LESS THAN 30 MINUTES
44%42%45%44%
24%24%25%23%
9%10%9%8%
4%5%4%3%
19%19%17%21%
generation Y is adept and comfortable with using online platforms to both find work and advance their careers.Almostone-thirdusedonlinejobboardstofindtheirmostrecentjob,whilenearlyone-quarterreliedonword-of-mouth.
Theyareactiveinusingtheirsocialnetworksforjobopenings and career opportunities. Facebook is the preferred platform, used by 40 percent of generation Y respondents. a further 23 percent use linkedin, 12 percent use blogs, and 4 percent use twitter.
there is apprehension among generation Y about the potential career impact of social networking content. twenty-eight percent are worried about the career implications of social networking content, and 36 percent edit or censor their sites to avoid career fallout.
For a generation raised in an online environment, it’s no surprise that more than one-in-three (34 percent) feel it’s essential to be active on social media in order to advance their careers.
employer restrictions on the use of social networking in the workplace affect 29 percent of generation Y respondents.
and it seems that perceptions about the more obsessive use of social media among generation Y may beexaggerated.Thevastmajority(70percent)spendan hour or less per day on social media sites. some 11 percentspendnotime,andjust18percentspendmorethan one hour.
conclusion
generation Y
21
: The Evolving Workforce
generation X is moving rapidly to engage online platformstofindjobsandadvancetheircareers,butataslowerpacethanGenerationY.Onlinejobboardsarethe most common method by which they found their mostrecentjob.Twenty-fourpercentusedanonlinejobboard to find work, followed by 22 percent who used word-of-mouth.
Baby Boomers, by contrast, still rely mostly on word-of-mouth. twenty-two percent secured their most recentjobbyword-of-mouth,followedbyonlinejobboards and direct approaches from employers (both 19 percent).
almost one-quarter of both generation X and Baby Boomers (24 percent) are active in using social networkingtolookforjobs.Forbothofthesegenerations, linkedin is the favored site.
the adverse consequences of social networking content on careers are evident. twenty-six percent of
generation X and 22 percent of Baby Boomers fear the implications. approximately one-third of these respondents edit or censor their sites to prevent career fallout.
generation X is more active than Baby Boomers in using the emerging online platform to advance their careers. twenty-six percent of generation X use social media as a career-enhancing tool, compared with 20 percent of Baby Boomers.
in the workplace, 31 percent of generation X face restrictions on social media usage, compared with 28 percent of Baby Boomers.
neither group devotes excessive time to social media. approximately two-thirds spend one hour or less each day on social media sites. only 11 percent of generation X and 8 percent of Baby Boomers spend more than one hour per day on these sites.
22
: The Evolving Workforce
conclusion generation X and BaBY Boomers
the latest responses to the kelly global workforce index show that social media/networking is emerging as an online revolution that is transforming the way people search for work and enhance their careers.
Onlinejobboardscomprisethelargestsinglemethodof finding work. while social media represents only asmallshareofthejobsearchmarket,manysurveyrespondents are using social networking sites to engage in virtual conversations about work, employers, and avenues to gain promotion, ultimately advancing their careers.
But there is also a sense of nervousness about the potential career pitfalls that can flow from the explosion of personal content on social networking sites. many are taking steps to erase or limit some of this content, mindful that it can create a digital trail that will endure for many years, and perhaps be viewed by work colleagues or potential employers.
23
: The Evolving Workforce
conclusion social media/networking wraP uP
aBout tHe kellY gloBal workForce indeX™
the kelly global workforce index is an annual survey revealing opinions about work and the workplace from a generational viewpoint. approximately 97,000 people from the americas, aPac and emea responded to the 2011 survey with results published on a quarterly basis. kelly services was the recipient of a marcom Platinum award in 2010 and a gold award in 2009 for the kelly global workforce index in the research/study category.
aBout kellY serVices®
kelly services, inc. (nasdaQ: kelYa, kelYB) is a leader in providing workforce solutions. kelly® offers a comprehensive array of outsourcing and consulting services as well as world-class staffing on a temporary, temporary-to-hire and direct-hire basis. serving clients around the globe, kelly provides employment to more than 530,000 employees annually. revenue in 2010 was $5 billion. Visit www.kellyservices.com and connect with us on Facebook®, linkedin®, and twitter®.
a kellY serVices rePort
all trademarks are property of their respective owners. an equal opportunity employer © 2011 kelly services, inc.
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